Supporting surface bracket

ABSTRACT

A Bracket that attaches to existing pieces of furniture to hold or support a shelf or other horizontally positioned member. The bracket has a U-shaped body and is made up of a furniture-engaging portion and first and second upstanding portions connected to the furniture-engaging portion. The bracket is shaped to cooperatively receive a shelf end between the upstanding members and against the furniture-engaging portion. Indentions in the bracket locks the shelf end in place as it is positioned inside the upstanding members. Bolts in the existing furniture piece loosened so that the bracket can receive these bolts through mating adjusting openings. The bolts are then retightened to secure the bracket against the existing piece of furniture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a bracket for engaging and securing the end of a supporting surface and, more particularly, to a shelf end engaging and securing bracket which permits the installation of a shelf between two existing pieces of furniture.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Brackets for connecting existing pieces of furniture have been used from time to time to avoid the direct connection of two or more existing pieces of furniture resulting in an awkward configuration and less than a fully planned and assembled end product. A more sophisticated product results when existing furniture pieces are connected by shelves or other convenient devices in a spaced-apart relationship. To achieve that design, brackets capable of securing lateral support members such as shelves to vertical members such as the sides of existing bookshelves have been used. There are many such devices in use, however many are bulky and appear trde unattractive when assembled.

There are new devices constructed that can be better designed and assembled when the connection between horizontal members and vertical members are improved to avoid the “unnatural” look of many such brackets or connectors. There is a continuing need to refine horizontal to vertical furniture connections, and it is to this continuing need that the present invention is directed.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a bracket that attaches to existing pieces of furniture to hold or support a shelf or other horizontally positioned member. The bracket has a U-shaped body and is made up of a furniture-engaging portion and first and second upstanding portions connected to the furniture-engaging portion. The bracket is configured to cooperatively receive a shelf end between the upstanding members and against the furniture-engaging portion. One or more indentions in the bracket locks the shelf end in place as it is positioned inside the upstanding members. One or more bolts in the existing furniture piece are unloosened so that the bracket can receive these bolts through mating adjusting openings. The bolts are then retightened to secure the bracket against the existing furniture pieces.

From the summary set forth above it can be seen that a primary objective of the present invention is to provide a bracket that can be used with existing pieces of furniture to accommodate horizontal members such as shelves or supporting members.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a bracket which attaches to an existing piece of furniture that utilizes the securing members of the existing furniture piece.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a bracket for attachment to an existing piece of furniture that is simple in design and inexpensive to fabricate.

Thus there has been outlined the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In that respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its arrangement of the components set forth in the following description and illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.

It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting in any respect. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the concept upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of this development. It is important that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent methods and products resulting therefrom that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The application is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by its claims, nor to limit its scope in any way.

Thus, the objectives of the invention set forth above, along with the various features of novelty, which characterize the invention, are noted with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific results obtained by its use, reference should be made to the following detailed specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views.

The drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. They illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with their description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the bracket of the present invention against an existing piece of furniture in the unsecured position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bracket of the present invention against an existing piece of furniture in the secured position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a shelf positioned between two existing pieces of furniture and engaged and supported at each shelf end by a bracket of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the first upstanding member of the bracket comprising the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the second upstanding member of the bracket comprising the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the single piece of stock material in the unbent state comprising the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an end elevational view of the bracket comprising the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a top plan and schematic view of the bracket being affixed to the vertical support with the bolt in the “just started” position; and

FIG. 9 is a top plan and schematic view of the bracket fully secured to the vertical support by the bolt.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 3, a shelf shown generally as 10, extends horizontally between existing pieces of furniture 12, 14. Shelf 10 is secured to each furniture piece 12, 14 by a bracket generally shown as 16. Details of bracket 16 are shown in FIGS. 4-7.

Bracket 16 has a U-shaped configuration as shown in FIG. 7 and includes a furniture-engaging portion 18 and first and second upstanding portions 20, 22. Furniture engaging portion 18 and one upstanding portion 22 have preferably 2 adjusting openings 24 which provide the necessary configurations to securely fasten bracket 10 to furniture pieces 12, 14. Shelf 10 is cooperatively received between upstanding portions 20, 22 and is urged inwardly until it engages indentions 26 in upstanding portion 22 and slides frictionally over them until shelf 10 contacts the inside 17 of furniture-engaging portion 18.

The attachment locations of bracket 16 are the openings shown generally as 24 which are formed to be positioned at the junction of furniture engaging portion 18 and upstanding portion 20. Openings 24 form an H shape when stamped and before bending with the larger opening 28 being in furniture engaging portion 18. Attachment begins with the partial loosening of a confirmat or similarly styled bolt 19 that is in the vertical wall 21 of the existing furniture pieces 12, 14 which holds the shelf or a bracing member 10 and vertical wall 21 together. Bracket 16 is then positioned so that bolt head 23 slips through opening 24 in furniture engaging portion 18 by utilizing the small opening 30 as shown in FIG. 1. Once bolt 19 is in opening 28, bracket 16 is slidably aligned in its proper location and bolt 19 is retightened to firmly secure shelf 10 to vertical side member 21.

Bracket 16 may be of any convenient size, and one having a length of from 10 to 14 inches with upstanding portions 20, 22 having a height of 1 inch was found to work very well in example recited above. Bracket 16 can be made of many different materials. A 20 gauged sheet steel bracket was used in the recited example and performed very well.

Indentions 26 are formed in upstanding portion 22 by the provision of 2 sets of 2 slits 32 as shown in FIGS. 4-7. The area 34 between each set of slits 32 is bent upwardly about 1/16 inch thus forming indentations that act as friction points to hold an inserted shelf end.

From the preceding description, it can be seen that a bracket for connecting horizontal members to vertical members such as connecting a shelf to the vertical side supporting members has been provided that will meet all of the advantages of prior art devices and offer additional advantages not heretofore achievable. With respect to the foregoing invention, the optimum dimensional relationship to the parts of the invention including variations in size, materials, shape, form, function, and manner of operation, use and assembly are deemed readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed herein.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, and it is desired not to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described. All suitable modifications and equivalents that fall within the scope of the appended claims are deemed within the present inventive concept. 

1. A shelf bracket for holding shelves with first and second ends to an existing piece of furniture having loosening and tightening bolts with heads, the bracket comprising: a U-shaped body having a furniture-engaging portion and first and second upstanding portions connected to the furniture engaging portion, the furniture engaging portion and one upstanding portion having at least one adjusting opening formed therein, the upstanding portions formed to cooperatively receive a shelf end therebetween, the bracket secured to the existing piece of furniture by the loosening and tightening bolts.
 2. The shelf bracket as claimed in claim 1 wherein each shelf end is held by one bracket secured to a different piece of furniture.
 3. The shelf bracket as claimed in claim 1 wherein the adjusting opening cooperatively receives the loosening and tightening bolts with heads to secure the bracket to the existing piece of furniture.
 4. The shelf bracket as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: at least one indention formed within the bracket body to engage and secure the shelf end positioned therein.
 5. The shelf bracket as claimed in claim 4 wherein the at least one indention is formed in one of the bracket body upstanding portions.
 6. The shelf bracket as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second upstanding portions are equal in length.
 7. The shelf bracket as claimed in claim 1 wherein the adjusting opening is H-shaped.
 8. The shelf bracket as claimed in claim 7 wherein the H-shaped opening has a larger, smaller and a H leg connecting opening.
 9. The shelf bracket as claimed in claim 8 further comprising: at least one indention formed within the bracket body to engage and secure the shelf end positioned therein.
 10. The shelf bracket as claimed in claim 9 wherein the at least one indention is formed in a bracket body upstanding portion.
 11. The shelf bracket as claimed in claim 10 wherein the first and second upstanding portions are equal in length.
 12. (canceled) 